Wyoming landowner and EPA settle Clean Water Act lawsuit

The battle between A Wyoming man and the Environmental Protection Agency
over more than $16 million in fines due to a stock pond on his property has
come to an end. A settlement has been reached, allowing Andy Johnson of
Uinta County to keep his pond and dismisses any any fines.
“Under the settlement, the Johnson family’s pond will remain; they won't
pay any fines; they don't concede any federal jurisdiction to regulate
their pond; and the government won't pursue any further enforcement actions
based on the pond's construction,” according to a release from Pacific
Legal Foundation.
The EPA claimed the pond Johnson built on his property was violating the
Clean Water Act, and he was ordered to return the property to pre-pond
conditions. If he didn’t, he’d be fined $37,500 a day. Over more than three
years, those fines would have been well over $16 million.
Wyoming's congressional delegation has weighed in on the situation.
“It’s nice to see the EPA put in check a little bit. All the worry and
angst that Mr. Johnson and his family had to go through, and even the
embarrassment that the EPA should be experiencing right now, could easily
have been avoided if only the EPA would follow the law instead of trying to
make new laws on its own,” said U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi. “I appreciate Mr.
Johnson’s determination to stand up to a bully. I’ll continue to work in
the Senate to see that the EPA and other federal agencies that are
expanding beyond their authority are no longer able to.”
“That the EPA took as long as they did to admit their overreach and stop
bullying and threatening the Johnson family is a gross abuse," U.S. Rep.
Cynthia Lummis said. "This pond, on private land, was never under the
federal agency’s purview and it was far past time the EPA realized that and
backed down. I will continue fighting the EPA’s overreach in every form
and at every level throughout the last throes of this reckless
administration and I congratulate Andy Johnson and his family on this
victory for all landowners.”
#county10 #buckrail #reboot #springcity #oilcity #dally #county17 #shortgo
#news

Wyoming landowner and EPA settle Clean Water Act lawsuit

The battle between A Wyoming man and the Environmental Protection Agency
over more than $16 million in fines due to a stock pond on his property has
come to an end. A settlement has been reached, allowing Andy Johnson of
Uinta County to keep his pond and dismisses any any fines.
“Under the settlement, the Johnson family’s pond will remain; they won't
pay any fines; they don't concede any federal jurisdiction to regulate
their pond; and the government won't pursue any further enforcement actions
based on the pond's construction,” according to a release from Pacific
Legal Foundation.
The EPA claimed the pond Johnson built on his property was violating the
Clean Water Act, and he was ordered to return the property to pre-pond
conditions. If he didn’t, he’d be fined $37,500 a day. Over more than three
years, those fines would have been well over $16 million.
Wyoming's congressional delegation has weighed in on the situation.
“It’s nice to see the EPA put in check a little bit. All the worry and
angst that Mr. Johnson and his family had to go through, and even the
embarrassment that the EPA should be experiencing right now, could easily
have been avoided if only the EPA would follow the law instead of trying to
make new laws on its own,” said U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi. “I appreciate Mr.
Johnson’s determination to stand up to a bully. I’ll continue to work in
the Senate to see that the EPA and other federal agencies that are
expanding beyond their authority are no longer able to.”
“That the EPA took as long as they did to admit their overreach and stop
bullying and threatening the Johnson family is a gross abuse," U.S. Rep.
Cynthia Lummis said. "This pond, on private land, was never under the
federal agency’s purview and it was far past time the EPA realized that and
backed down. I will continue fighting the EPA’s overreach in every form
and at every level throughout the last throes of this reckless
administration and I congratulate Andy Johnson and his family on this
victory for all landowners.”
#county10 #buckrail #reboot #springcity #oilcity #dally #county17 #shortgo
#news